The Morning Fix: Thomas Jones Day Edition

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Morning Addicts! Today may be the day the Chiefs make their first big free agent signing as RB Thomas Jones is scheduled to visit today. We told you yesterday that former Raiders RB, Justin Fargas, would also visit this week. As you will see below, it looks as thogh Fargas will be in KC on Tuesday.

Until then, here is your Morning Fix!

Anybody that followed the Schottenheimer Chiefs can sit and pick at the decisions the head coach made during his time in control of the team. Yes, hindsight is 20-20. Even Marty would agree on some of those second guesses, including starting Elvis Grbac in the ‘97 playoffs instead of sticking with Rich Gannon. He knows he wasn’t perfect and never tried to present himself as without failure.

Athletic teams almost always take on the personality of the man leading them, and that was certainly the case with the Chiefs from 1989 through 1998. Those teams of Schottenheimer played the game with emotion, especially on defense where they put together some of the finest seasons in the league in 1989, 1992, 1995 and even that sad final season of 1998. In each of those seasons, the Chiefs were among the top 10 teams in the league for fewest yards allowed.

Don’t Doubt Marty’s Tears … Monday Cup O’Chiefs-BobGretz.com

TEAMS THAT DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT AN UNCAPPED YEAR MEANT One agent estimated that more than half the teams would cut payroll this season, and the last few days told us all we needed to know. The Redskins slashed 10 veterans as if there were still a cap to worry about and have spent little money since then. The Dallas Cowboys have done nothing. And some of the lowest-revenue teams like the Kansas City Chiefs have such low payrolls that they may not get anywhere near last season’s $108 million minimum.

As N.F.L. Free Agency Opens, a Big Splash and Smaller Ripples-The New York Times

These details paint a picture of an owner who, through his own actions over the last two years, has spared little to no expense in trying to make the Chiefs’ front office and coaching staff one of the best in the league. The details also seem to describe an owner who’s willing to use that same philosophy when it comes to acquiring players, should his GM believe it’s in the best interest of the team.

But as anyone who’s been following free agency since 12:01 on Friday morning surely knows, that description is not the public perception of Clark Hunt.

The perception of Hunt – as echoed by hundreds of message board posts, Tweets, and radio callers – is that he’s a cheapskate, unwilling to spend the necessary money it will take to improve his woeful football team.

That description may not be fair, but the actual truth behind the “cheap” accusation is becoming irrelevant. What actually matters is that more and more people are beginning to believe it’s true. As the saying goes, perception becomes reality, and the perception of Hunt as an owner who refuses to spend money is quickly becoming the accepted truth across Kansas City.

Chiefs Face A Perception Problem-WPI